To bestir yourself means to start moving and taking action, especially when you've been still, lazy, or putting something off. The word carries a sense of rousing yourself from inactivity into energetic motion.

Imagine it's Saturday morning and you've been lounging on the couch for hours, but suddenly you remember your science project is due Monday. You need to bestir yourself and get to work. Or picture a cat sleeping in a sunny spot who finally bestirs itself when it hears the sound of a can opener.

The word has an old-fashioned, slightly formal flavor to it. You might read in a classic novel that “the villagers bestirred themselves at dawn to prepare for the festival” or “the knight bestirred himself from his rest to answer the call to adventure.” It suggests purposeful movement after a period of rest or hesitation.

Bestir is most often used with “yourself,” “herself,” or “themselves.” You don't usually bestir other people; each person bestirs themself. The word implies that the energy and initiative come from within, that moment when you shake off drowsiness or procrastination and actually start doing what needs to be done.